Marie-Michèle Gagnon has not said her last word. Morally broken at the end of winter after feeling pushed out by Alpine Canada, the 33-year-old skier is back in the team’s fold with the desire to climb on the first podium of her career in descent.
Posted at 6:00 a.m.
Seven months after the small storm concerning her future, Gagnon does not want to dwell on the conclusion of the last campaign, when the sports management had informed her that she was no longer in the plans as the only speed specialist in the country.
“The good news is that I’m with the team and I have a program,” Gagnon began in an interview from Sölden, Austria, on Monday.
“I prefer not to go into details and look on the bright side of things. I was named to the team like any athlete who met the criteria. I am really happy and proud to represent Alpine Canada for another season. »
For the rest, the native of Lac-Etchemin limited herself to “no comments”, while apologizing for not saying more, which is not in her habits.
PHOTO CHRISTOF STACHE, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ARCHIVES
Marie-Michele Gagnon
Obviously, her emotional outing in the media has created a stir and sparked a discussion even with the members of the board of directors, with whom she maintains friendly ties.
“The changes that have been made in Canada in the last two or three years are very positive,” she insisted. We have an incredible board that is the envy of Canada. […] It’s a shame it happened there. It gave Alpine Canada a bad image. »
Gagnon is full of praise for the new boss of the women’s group, the American Karin Harjo, the only woman to hold a head coaching position in the World Cup.
“She does a great job and communicates well with everyone. She really rallied the staff and the athletes. There is no drama, and the sportsmanship is excellent. »
“Filling the Little Hole”
After the departure of her personal trainer Hansjörg Plankensteiner, Gagnon now works with the Italian Laurent Praz, who has accompanied Valérie Grenier since her return from injury in 2019. The two skiers share a combined program that extends from giant slalom to downhill, what they had already done.
“I trained a lot with Val as a giant this summer. It really helped me technically to work with her and her trainer who became mine. […] It’s very positive to be back with Val. We are able to push each other, we get along really well and I am no longer alone in my own team. »
For a rare time in his career on the slopes, Gagnon communicates in French, Praz being from the Val d’Aosta. Empowered by the success and quality of skiing at Grenier last winter, she praises the “clarity” of the teachings of the 35-year-old Italian.
“From the start, we’ve been working on little things to help me with changes in terrain or rhythm in a speed course, which has always been a bit of my weakness. We hope that this new skill will help me fill the little gap I needed to get on the podium. »
This would allow him to accomplish one of his “big dreams”, which is to climb on the podium in the downhill. Her fifth place in January in Zauchensee made her join a distinguished group of skiers who finished among the top five in each of the alpine skiing specialties (slalom, giant, super-G, downhill, super combined).
It would be really fun to make the podium downhill. Like that, I would have succeeded in almost all the disciplines, except the giant.
Marie-Michele Gagnon
When Praz is busy with Grenier elsewhere on the World Cup circuit, Gagnon can count on Canadian Jim Pollock, who once managed her.
“We don’t need to start getting to know each other. It’s important to have someone who knows how we work. »
Eighth in the downhill at the Beijing Olympics, she tackles the years “one at a time”.
“The rest will depend on my motivation, my results, my desire to do something else,” explained the Mont Orignal product. I don’t put too much pressure on myself. I am totally focused on the next season, where there are world championships, which is important for us.
“And if it’s the last, it will be a very beautiful one…”
Not optimistic for Zermatt-Cervinia
After the cancellation of the Sölden giant on Saturday, Gagnon is not very optimistic to see the World Cup season begin in Zermatt (Switzerland) and Cervinia (Italy), where two new descents are to take place on November 5 and 6. The men’s events scheduled for the end of the month at the same venue were canceled last weekend. A final snow check is scheduled for the women’s races on Tuesday. “It does not look very good, it has been raining at all heights for a few days, reported the Quebecer. It’s a shame because I had already trained on this track. I know her well. It would have been super cool to have a race [à cet endroit] at the start of the season. If his pessimism is confirmed, the speed block will be launched as usual in Lake Louise, at the beginning of December.
Testing
If Gagnon is on the Rettenbach glacier, in Austria, it was not to take the start of the giant. She was supposed to take the opportunity to continue training, but the terrible weather has prevented her so far. If the weather improves, she should do some gliding tests with her new pairs of downhill boards in the next few days in Sölden.
pass the hat
The five Quebecers of the Canadian team (Gagnon, Grenier, Laurence St-Germain, Sarah Bennett and Simon Fournier) invite those interested to join them for a cocktail reception and a silent auction which will take place on November 3 at the Mont -Royal of BMO Financial Group in Montreal. The cost of the ticket is $500 (with tax receipt). All funds raised will go directly to the athletes who are required to raise $20,000 each in fundraising activities. Gagnon wants to make it a lasting event for Quebec skiers.
In addition, Ski Québec Alpin and Snowboard Québec are holding their main annual fundraising activity as part of the traditional Telus Summit Meeting, which is resuming in person for the first time since the pandemic at New City Gas, in the Griffintown district.